Cabin Fourteen
by Flacutono
Summary: Bankotsu goes to a summer camp. It's full of homophobics, and then there's Jakotsu. Result? Not good. Jakotsu/Bankotsu Shounen-ai, AU
1. Prologue

**Title:**Cabin Fourteen  
**Author:** Flacutono, aka M.K.  
**Rating:** T  
**Pairing: **Jakotsu/Bankotsu  
**Genre:** Romance, Drama, AU  
**Warnings: **Shounen-ai, violence, angst  
**Beta: **Kirayasha aka Kira. She's my saviour. Thanks a million once again!  
**Disclaimer: **Rumiko Takahashi owns all Inuyasha characters (in this story meaning Jakotsu, Bankotsu and Suikotsu) , but the story is all mine. Steal it and you shall have my eternal loathing over you.  
**Summary:** Bankotsu goes to a summer camp. It's full of homophobics, and then there's Jakotsu. Result? Not good.  
**A/N:** Well this one took a lot of time. I wanted, and I mean really wanted, to write a story full of angst, but this one didn't turn that way. I guess I'm just a sucker for fluff. Anyway, I like the story and I hope you do too. Reviewers will be showered with cookies.

_ Prologue is from Bankotsu's PoV, epilogue from Jakotsu's PoV, and the rest is from the third person view._

--

I opened my eyes, and the ship was drowning, I was drowning, and would never take another breath again. No, wait... It was just a dream. I looked around, foggy-headed and full of adrenaline from suddenly waking up from another nightmare. I was in a car, I'd fallen asleep on the back seat. It was raining outside; I had heard the raindrops, falling against the window, in my sleep and dreamt of a shipwreck. I shook my head to get rid of the feeling of drowning.

"Bankotsu, are you alright?"

I looked up; Mom was staring at me from the front seat. She was smiling, but there was a touch of uncertainty in her blue eyes. "I'm okay," I answered. "Just had a bad dream."

Dad was driving; at my words he glanced at the rear-view mirror to see my face. "Again? That settles it, once you get back home we'll take you to a psychiatrist. It's not normal to be having so much nightmares all the time."

I rolled my eyes; I didn't find it abnormal to have nightmares. People _do_ it all the time. My dreams just happened to be a bit more realistic, so I always remembered them afterwards. But if it made my parents stop fussing over me, I might as well see a shrink. Maybe they would finally believe there was nothing wrong with me.

Then again, lately my nightmares had always included some sort of accident or unfortunate event. Shipwrecks, snake bites in deserts, toxic fumes and such. The only thing in common in all these dreams was that I was alone in them. It made me feel bad, even worse than the actual misfortunes. I'd never considered myself lonely, but all the creepy dreams left me confused and scared. I remembered my grandmother telling me about the meanings of dreams when I was little. She was a weird one; lived with a big black cat, cooked food from all sorts of plants and muttered little spells under her breath. I once asked if she was a witch. She told me to stop asking stupid questions and eat more cake.

She died when I was ten, and I missed her a lot. I always had a nice time with her, even though she'd nag a lot from time to time. I'm sure Grandmother would have found some meaning in my bad dreams. I believed there was one; she had taught me to believe in supernatural. My dad had found her in her own bed the day after she died, looking peaceful as if she was sleeping. The cat, Rizo, had disappeared. No windows were open and there was no way the cat could have escaped whatsoever. He was just gone, like Grandmother. My parents refused to see anything abnormal in it, and I soon stopped asking their opinions. After all, it was my own business if I wanted to believe in spirits and prophetic dreams.

I was pulled from my thoughts by Mom's voice. "We're almost at the camp, just a few more miles. You sure you have everything you need? Enough clean clothes?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm fourteen, not seven, thanks very much, Mom..." She smiled at me. "Oh, I meant to ask you guys..." I started when I thought of something, "How come Kasumi's staying at home while I'm here?" I knew my older sister wasn't the type to spend her holiday home with our parents, and I found it surprising she had decided not to go anywhere.

Mom looked kinda awkward. "Well, I think it's because we told her she can have the house to herself for few days..."

I sighed. Looks like they had fooled me yet again. That's what you get for being the youngest one. I threw a sharp look at Mom. "And might I ask where you are going in that case?" She gave me a nervous smile.

--

_ To be continued in part two: New acquaintances_


	2. New acquaintances

**Now the story can really begin. I hope you enjoy this part too, and if you do or do not, please tell me why. See disclaimer, warnings and all other stuff from the beginning of part one.**

--

Bankotsu stared at his parents' retreating car in disbelief. _So in order for them to go on a luxury cruise and my sister to have a party with her friends, I'm being dumped in a boys' summer camp? Nice going, Mom, Dad..._ He sighed and grabbed his large bag. _Now then, I guess the big red cabin is where I should be heading. _Bankotsu, who was short but very handsome for his age of fourteen, looked around in the large yard of Camp Kurisutaru,his home for the next two weeks. There was the big red cabin, probably containing the sleeping quarters of the camp leaders, and many small brown ones. Bankotsu was trying to see if any other boys of his age were around, when he heard noise from behind the nearest brown cabin.

"Keep that up and I'll have your ass for breakfast, you little freak."

It was the harsh, tough voice of someone who enjoyed threatening others and Bankotsu had heard the same tone many times before. He sneaked closer to hear who was the one being tortured. The next voice surprised him, for it was high and feminine, completely out of place.

"If you like my ass so much," it said with a confident tone that made Bankotsu's eyes go wide, "why don't you just strip yourself and show me what you got?" That was followed by few annoyed grunts and the bright laughter of the feminine voice, which suddenly ended with loud slap.

"You little bitch! Guys, hold the creep while I teach him some manners." The first voice was thoroughly insulted and had a dangerous edge of madness in it.

Bankotsu's instinct to help the victim grew larger than the one of self-preservation, and he stepped away from the corner, behind which he had been hiding. "Hey assholes, why don't you teach me something instead?"

The bullies turned towards him in surprise; there were three of them and two were holding the victim, a slender boy with tied-up black hair, between them. The boy was half-unconscious and blood was dripping from his lower lip. The bullies stared at Bankotsu, before looking at each other and bursting into a roar of laughter. "You think you gonna beat us, shorty? Whatcha gonna do, slap us with your pretty braid?"

Bankotsu suddenly saw red; jokes about his size he could take, but his hair was his weak point. "Come here and I'll show you."

The bullies smirked and at the nod of their leader, their earlier victim was dumped on the ground. The boy didn't get up, but Bankotsu decided to worry about him later. Right now three guys, almost twice his size, were heading towards him, and cracking their knuckles. The fourteen year old put his right hand behind his back and closed it around the small knife in the pocket of his jeans. Suddenly all three attacked, yelling at Bankotsu, and he pulled the knife out. With a lightning-fast movement he managed to scratch the leader's hand.

The larger boy stopped dead and so did his fellows. "Ow!" he yelled, holding his hand. The other two were casting wary looks at Bankotsu, who was poised to attack again if needed. Turned out there was no need; the leader didn't want to risk more injuries. "This isn't over, pretty boy," he grunted and walked away with his followers.

After they had disappeared behind the corner, Bankotsu let himself collapse against the back wall of the cabin. _Way to go, you've been here for five minutes and are already on the black list of some violent jerks. _The black-haired boy on the ground moaned. Bankotsu stopped lecturing himself and went over to the other boy, who seemed to have fainted. There was definitely something strange about him; he wore black eyeliner and red lipstick, which was now spread around his mouth in a crimson stain, and his black jeans and top would have been at home in Bankotsu's older sister's closet. _No wonder he got beaten up in a place like this... But damn, he's pretty. _The fourteen year old blushed at his thoughts and decided to wake the other boy.

Bankotsu reached his hand towards the taller boy, intending to give him a gentle shake. Instead, he was scared shitless when the boy suddenly grabbed his wrist and opened his eyes.

"Stay away from me." His high voice was more sober now and it was filled with anger.

Bankotsu pulled his hand away and took few nervous steps back when the boy sat up. "I, I'm sorry... I just wanted to help. You alright?" He was rewarded with an ice cold glare.

"Like you care." The older boy got to his feet, trembling slightly.

Bankotsu didn't know what to say; he found himself staring at this unusually pretty male from head to toe. _He looks so familiar, _Bankotsu noted, _like I've seen him before somewhere._

The taller boy turned his sharp eyes to Bankotsu, who quickly dropped his gaze to ground. "For your information, I can take care of myself perfectly fine and I have no need for a knight in shining armor. And even less for a kid like you," the boy said.

Bankotsu looked up, insulted. "The fact I'm a bit short doesn't mean I'm a kid."

The effeminate boy stared at him for a while. He didn't smile, but some kind of flame was lit in his dark eyes. He started taking steps towards Bankotsu, who nervously backed away. "Oh really? Then how old are you, if I may ask?"

Bankotsu had a feeling this strange boy could be much more dangerous than a few thick-headed bullies, and he tried hard not to fall while walking backwards. "I'm fourteen, not that it's any of your business."

A cold smirk appeared on tall boy's face. "Oh sweetie... You're gonna get eaten alive here."

Bankotsu felt the back wall of cabin behind his back; he was cornered now and other boy still came closer.

"And if you don't stop sticking your nose in my business, I might be the one to eat you. Understand?"

They were inches away from each other now; Bankotsu knew he could use his knife but somehow it would have seemed wrong to attack the guy he had just helped.

Just then, a loud bell rang and they heard a man shouting nearby.

"Hey, everyone to the main cabin now! It's time to get this ball rolling! Or something. The point is, get your asses in here!"

The taller boy glanced at Bankotsu and hesitated for a second before stepping away. "Just remember to stay out of my way, will ya?" he said, and then he was gone.

Bankotsu stared after him with an open mouth. Then the bell rang again and he was shaken into reality. Grabbing his bag, and still wondering about the other boy, Bankotsu walked into the red cabin.

It was full of other boys from thirteen to seventeen years, and most of them were at least half a foot taller than him. The boy with make-up was nowhere to be seen, but in the middle of the large room were three adults, eyeing the boys all around them. Two of them, a middle-aged man and woman, were sitting on chairs behind a table. The third one, a young man with brown hair and a friendly smile, was casually leaning against it. The young man was first one to open his mouth and Bankotsu noticed his voice was the same he had heard shouting earlier. "I think we're pretty much all here. Now then, if you've got any idea of who you want to bunk with, please gather in groups... No more than four in one group!"

The boys started a chaotic search for their friends; small fights were started over who would share the cabin with whom. With a nasty, helpless feeling in his stomach, Bankotsu walked alone towards the wall. Finally the mess was settling down and he was relieved to see he wasn't the only one alone. Some of the younger boys were standing away from the groups and the older camp leaders looked satisfied.

The brown-haired man took control again. "Okay, thanks! And now for you who don't have roommates yet, I'm just gonna divide you into random groups to share the cabin with... It's supposed to be a good way to make new friends," he added with a little sarcastic tone and a glance towards his older colleagues. Without another word, he walked in the middle of the lonely boys and started to divide them into groups. Bankotsu watched with great interest how half a dozen groups of three or four boys were born, before realizing he was left outside because of his place near the wall. Panic rising inside him, he stepped out and snapped his fingers a bit to get the leader's attention. The young man turned to look at him. "Oh, I didn't notice you there! Sorry. Now let's see, we have... Nineteen groups in total, so one more cabin is still free..." His eyes wandered to the other side of room. "Ha! Tried to hide from me, Jakotsu? Come, you share the cabin with this one here," he said to someone, pointing at Bankotsu. A figure stepped out from shadows and Bankotsu's stomach jumped violently. _It's him... I'm so screwed, _he thought as his new roommate walked to him with a look of cold amusement on his pretty face.

"I'm taking the lower bed," Jakotsu announced as they entered the cabin number fourteen.

Bankotsu was practically going insane while trying not to stare at the older boy. "Huh? Umm, sure." _Usually everyone wants the higher bed. Maybe he's afraid of heights. _He almost laughed aloud at this; Jakotsu didn't look like someone who was afraid of things. More like someone who appeared bored as hell all the time, before snapping your spine in half when you turned your back.

"So, seeing as you aren't able to stay out of my way, it might be practical to know your name. Unless you want me to call you 'Kid' for the next two weeks."

Bankotsu looked up; Jakotsu was actually looking at him, not interested but at least realizing he existed. "No thanks, I get that enough at home. My name's Bankotsu."

The taller boy's eyes narrowed a bit and he seemed to think deeply for a moment. Then he relaxed. "Okay." He lay down on his bed.

Bankotsu grew less nervous when it seemed he wasn't gonna get eaten that exact moment. "Can I ask you something... Jakotsu, right?"

The older boy closed his eyes. "Yeah?"

The fourteen year old gathered his courage. "How come the leader guy seemed to know you? We won't have the 'get to know each other'-thing until later."

Jakotsu took a deep breath. "Well... I've been here before. And he's the son of those two old geezers, his name's Suikotsu. He's alright, but his parents, who are the actual leaders here, have some issues. Like the whole 'let's put complete strangers in same cabin and see if they become friends or kill each other'-idea. They seem to find it lots of fun. If I were you, I'd stay away from them. It won't be hard, since Suikotsu does all the real work around here." He fell silent.

Bankotsu was amazed, not about the things Jakotsu had told him, but about the fact he had actually spoken to him without threatening to kill him. _I guess it's progress._

That night Bankotsu was laying on his bed, near the roof, and thought about the camp meeting that had taken place earlier, after supper. He and Jakotsu hadn't exactly gone together, but ended up sitting at the same table none-the-less. Everyone else stared at them with an unwelcoming look on their faces. After listening to the quiet muttering around them, Bankotsu had realized that many of the older boys were unhappy with the way he had stood up for Jakotsu against the group of bullies. Apparently Jakotsu was too much of a weirdo for their liking. And as for the younger boys, they were scared of getting beaten up and had adopted the views of their dictators, making both Jakotsu and Bankotsu pretty much outcasts. _Outcasts with a risk of getting our asses kicked._

Bankotsu didn't think for a second that the older boy would defend him against the enemy, but was nevertheless happy he wasn't the only one being under threat of violence; it made situation more bearable. Like the time when he was younger and afraid of dark in their new home after the moving. On the first night he had stayed up until three AM, wincing at every mysterious creak, and not daring to close his eyes. Then his cat had come into the room and jumped on his bed; suddenly it wasn't so scary anymore. The presence of another creature, even a cat, in the same room made the darkness less threatening and the creaks became just the normal voices of the old house. Later, Bankotsu had learned it was part of human nature, ever since the time our ancestors had lived in small packs, under the security of the whole group.

His wandering thoughts were distracted by a soft whimper from the lower bed. Jakotsu had fallen asleep right after shutting the lights, while Bankotsu had continued gazing at the roof above him. But now it seemed the pale boy was talking in his sleep; Bankotsu heard incoherent mumbling and restless movements. After hesitating a bit, he quietly sat up and leaned over the edge of his bed to take a look. Jakotsu had pushed his blanket off; he was dressed in a white t-shirt and black silk boxers and he wore a restless expression on his face. Now that his hair was free, Bankotsu saw it was longer than he had thought. Jakotsu's fingers were twitching and a frown shadowed his flawless features. _Even without makeup, he could be mistaken for a girl... _Bankotsu found himself scanning the tall, slim body and blushed again. _This is so not good..._

Jakotsu started mumbling again. The younger boy held his breath to hear some of the quiet words. _"No... Don't... Fire... Wait... _Bastards!_" _Suddenly he punched the wall with his left fist and immediately sat up; making Bankotsu pull his head back up in shock. "Shit! Ooooowwww..." Jakotsu moaned below him and he lay back down as quietly as he could, his heart beating like a rabbit's. _He almost gave me a stroke! _The taller boy was cursing to himself. Suddenly he raised his voice a bit. "Bankotsu?"

The owner of the name was petrified and did his best to pretend to be asleep as he heard Jakotsu getting up from his bed. Bankotsu could hear his roommate's soft breathing as he stood up and turned to watch the boy in the higher bed.

"Hey? You awake?"

Bankotsu didn't answer.

The older boy sighed and yawned. "Sleeps like the dead..." he muttered.

Bankotsu heard a soft creak and felt the bed swing a little. _What's he doing?! _Next thing he knew there was a strand of Jakotsu's hair tickling his cheek. The strange boy was bending over his head, looking at his "sleeping" face.

Bankotsu could feel the eyes looking him over and was strongly tempted to crack his eyes open and scream, just to see Jakotsu's face. _He's so close... _The younger boy hoped his heartbeats weren't too loud. Then, just as suddenly as he had climbed up, Jakotsu jumped back down and stepped quietly out of door, most likely to visit the outdoor toilet. Bankotsu opened his eyes and let out a deep breath. _That was... weird. _To his surprise he realized it didn't feel weird in a bad way. _Of course it's bad! He's staring at me while I'm asleep! _Just then his subconscious decided to remind him he had done the exact same thing while Jakotsu was dreaming. This left his protesting side speechless and he could focus his mind on the main thing. _Why didn't it feel bad? _Bankotsu wondered. This question made him feel a bit uneasy, as if he didn't really want to know the answer. _Maybe I'm just going crazy. _By the time Jakotsu got back inside and crawled under his sheets, Bankotsu had already fallen asleep, his thoughts floating in a chaotic circle.

--

_ To be continued in part three: Past and present_


	3. Past and present

**I'll just get my cookie jar so I can throw cookies at reviewers. You enjoy part three!**

--

"You think we're lost?" Bankotsu asked nervously.

Jakotsu glared at him. "No we're not. I know where to go, I just don't want to take their detour. This path is way faster and easier."

The younger boy decided not to argue; at least Jakotsu seemed to know what he was doing. It was their third whole day at the camp, and it was dedicated to wandering around in the forest. Bankotsu knew nothing about maps or compasses and was therefore happy that Jakotsu had accepted him as his partner. Although, it wasn't like he would have had any choice; all the other boys were still avoiding them, and refusing to be in their company. No one had attacked them yet, but the older boys were definitely keeping an eye on them. As it was, the two boys had spent most of their time together, gradually relaxing in each other's company.

While Jakotsu was still acting as cold and rude as ever on the outside, he was becoming friendlier. He talked to the shorter boy and hadn't even threatened to kill him since the first day. Bankotsu, on the other hand, had stopped being afraid of his roommate and found him quite interesting at this point. The effeminate boy mumbled in his sleep every night and it was clear to Bankotsu that he had suffered some sort of traumatizing experience and was having a lot of nightmares. The word _fire_ was repeated a lot, and Bankotsu also got the impression Jakotsu was extremely angry at someone. Of course he wasn't stupid enough to ask Jakotsu about his dreams, (_I might as well go and spit on the face of those bullies_) but was hoping that if the taller boy learned to trust him, there was a chance of finding out his secret. Bankotsu had always been curious in nature, but it was rare for him to be this interested about someone he barely knew. He realized it, but didn't want to dig too deep in his own mind.

Then again, Jakotsu's mind was a completely different matter. "So you said you've been here before? Like, in another camp?" Bankotsu started casually.

As usual, his new friend threw him a suspicious look, before answering. "Yeah, I've been here in summer camp for three years in a row now, this is the fourth..."

"Really? So you like it here?" Bankotsu had troubles seeing how anyone would like a place like this. And sure enough, he was rewarded with another cold glare.

"No, idiot. I only come because I have to. And I hate this place. The other boys have always problems with me and I've been beaten up more times than I care to remember. The leaders hate me, ever since they first saw me they've been determined that I was born to cause trouble. Suikotsu is the only one who's ever been nice to me in this place but..." He fell silent suddenly, as if some thought had just occurred to him. He looked at Bankotsu, but this time his expression wasn't negative, just blank. "Well... Almost only one, I guess."

It took Bankotsu a moment to figure out what his tall companion meant but when he got it, he felt like he had achieved something great. He smiled idiotically and Jakotsu turned his face away (was it an illusion, or was there a shade of red on his cheeks?), saying, "Stop looking like a moron. Anyway, as I was saying... Suikotsu has always been okay with me, but since he's not in charge there's not much he can do to keep everyone from picking on me. Although he did stop some guys from breaking my spine two years ago."

Bankotsu stared. "What happened?" he asked.

Jakotsu looked up. "I'll tell if we can stop for a moment. We're in no hurry and I got some fucking pebbles in my shoes..."

They found a small clearing and sat down over a trunk of fallen tree. Jakotsu took off his left shoe, shook some sand out of it and sighed with relief. "Stupid small shoes..." He got rid of the other one too and stretched his feet with great enjoyment. "You think there's a river nearby?" he asked absent-mindedly, looking like he was trying to hear some distant sound.

Bankotsu smiled wickedly. "Don't try to change the subject. You said you'd tell me about Suikotsu saving you."

The effeminate boy sighed. "You're too nosy, you know that? Okay then... But I have to say it's not a bedtime story." He slid off the tree trunk to sit on the ground, leaned back and closed his eyes. "It was, as I said, two years ago and my second year here. I had adopted the camp habits my first time here, so I didn't really pay attention during all the rules-telling and roommate-choosing stuff. And so I happened to get a same cabin with two guys very much like those assholes who tried to beat me up the other day.

"They loathed me from the first sight. They looked at my clothes and my make-up, realized what I was and - like those guys usually do - assumed that I would at the very least rape them while they are sleeping. So they wanted to make me harmless. Little by little, first with words and later with fists, they silenced me. They told everyone about all the horrible things I had said, about the stuff I had threatened them with. I guess no one really believed their stories but since they all hated me it didn't matter. And every night they..." He shivered a bit. "...well, they made me hurt myself. 'It's either you or us who does it,' they said, 'and if it's us, there will be more than blood on the floor.' I haven't been able to touch Swiss knives ever since... Anyways, by the end of the first week I had become completely mute, couldn't say a word. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't make a sound. I guess it was all in my head... But I almost died because of it."

Bankotsu's eyes were wide. He had had no idea of the cruelness people can treat each other with; he was quite innocent and naïve still and had spend his childhood in happiness. But the way Jakotsu talked about those things and the barely visible look of pain on his face made Bankotsu want to kill the guys who had done this to him. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear any more of this nightmare, but knew that he didn't want to stop Jakotsu from talking.

"It was Saturday night, and we were having a camp fire outside," the taller boy continued. "I stayed a good distance away from everyone else and refused to go near the flames... And when the old geezers decided to start a friendly campfire singing session, I quietly walked into the forest. I needed a small break, and I walked for a while until I couldn't hear their singing anymore.

"For two minutes I felt good; it was silent, moon was full and I was feeling wild, like I often do at full moon nights. There's just something in the way it shines down at you, especially in a forest. The eerie beauty, you know? I love that feeling. I felt like singing to the moon, but couldn't. So I danced instead."

Bankotsu could see it in his mind; Jakotsu's graceful body moving along the music in his head, his long dark hair shining in the moonlight...

"Then I heard a loud noise behind me and everything went wrong. Suddenly I was attacked from behind, I fell and two or three big guys were holding me in ground. One of my roommates was standing in front of me, smiling. He pulled my face up by my hair and said something about me not knowing my place... Then he asked me 'Who is the boss here?' or something equally corny. He knew very well I wasn't able to talk, and they told me they'd kill me if I didn't answer. I didn't even bother to try.

"The first punch was into my stomach, I guess. I'm not sure anymore. After that it was all a haze, there was nothing but pain. Feet kicking me everywhere, dirt in my eyes and blood in my mouth. All I could think was, _If only I could scream. _I wanted to scream, I tried to... But nothing came out." Jakotsu took a deep, trembling breath and Bankotsu stared at him, lost in the story. "Then the hitting stopped. I thought I had fainted. Or died. But I heard voices; someone was yelling. I opened my eyes even though it hurt like hell, and I saw Suikotsu. It was the only time I've ever seen him really angry, he told those guys to go to hell and that he would cut their balls off if they tried to do it again." The memory brought a cold smirk on his face. "Then the guys were gone, and Suikotsu was next to me, on his knees. He looked worried, he asked me if I remembered my name and stupid stuff like that. At that point I wouldn't have been able to talk anyways and I was close to unconsciousness. But I wanted to thank him. So I pulled him closer with the hand that wasn't broken and kissed him."

Bankotsu blinked. _So he _is _gay. Well, I guess that was kinda obvious. _He couldn't help but wonder why this information made his stomach jump. "And then?" he asked to cover his own thoughts.

Jakotsu sighed. "Well, it didn't really mean anything, of course. I was just out of my head, he pretty much saved my life and he did look kinda cute in the moonlight. He kissed me back, but only for a second or two. He's not gay; he just wanted me to stay calm. Then he pulled away and told me he'd take me to hospital and I fainted. Next, I woke up in hospital two days later and Suikotsu was there. I felt like shit, bruised all over, but my fear was gone, I could talk again and I apologized to him for the kiss. He said it didn't matter, that he knew it was my way to say thanks. After that I trusted him and he has been kinda like my bodyguard here. Usually he has been able to stop people from beating me up." Jakotsu finally opened his eyes; they might have been a bit moist, but Bankotsu wasn't sure. "I spent rest of the summer in the hospital and I was happy about it. But next year I was sent here again, just like this year... And things haven't changed much here." His expression was bitter.

"Why do you have to come here?" Bankotsu couldn't help asking. "Are your parents forcing you?"

Jakotsu suddenly stood up. "That's none of your business. Come on, we're almost there." He started to walk away.

Bankotsu blinked. _What happened? He tells me all that and now suddenly it's not my business? _He walked quickly to catch up to Jakotsu. _It's his parents. He got that expression again when I mentioned them. I wonder why he doesn't want to talk about them... Maybe they abandoned him 'cause he's gay. Or maybe something happened to them. _He glanced towards Jakotsu, whose lips had tightened into a line. "I'm sorry," Bankotsu muttered.

Jakotsu's expression didn't change. "For what?"

"For asking questions I shouldn't ask. For upsetting you."

Jakotsu slowed down a little. "It's okay. There's just things I don't like to think about. Things that are even worse than what I told you about. It's not your fault you're so damn curious."

Bankotsu smiled a bit. "Yeah, it's my sister's fault. She's five years older than me and when I was small she always made me spy on our parents."

Jakotsu looked puzzled. "Spy? Like how?"

"Well, if they were talking about something they didn't want her to hear - like birthday presents and stuff - Kasumi told me to go over to them, listen carefully and later tell her what they said. She used to say 'just go there and look cute and dumb.' And it worked every time too." He looked up at Jakotsu and almost fell down in amazement; the taller boy was actually smiling. It was not the cold smirk he had seen before, but a real smile.

"Well, you definitely are good at that," Jakotsu said.

Bankotsu felt like someone had released a dozen butterflies inside his stomach. _He's beautiful when he smiles!_ He tried to clear his head, but the smile had left him wanting more. "Well, she regretted teaching it to me later. One time, when I was ten, she hid all my favorite manga because I had irritated her somehow. Couple of days and some eavesdropping later I went to my parents, looking cute and dumb, and described each and every sound I had heard from Kasumi's room while her boyfriend was visiting her." Bankotsu smiled at the memory. "And when she caught me, I got a beating so bad my ears still hurt two weeks after..." The voice from his left side made him look at Jakotsu. To his utter joy, Jakotsu's former smile was replaced with an even wider one, and he was clearly struggling not to laugh aloud. The butterflies returned, but this time they were spread all over Bankotsu's insides; his head, heart, stomach - and lower still.

_ This is so wrong,_ his rational mind thought, but it was ran over by his emotional one; _If it's wrong, how come it makes me feel so good? _As he was fighting against himself, Jakotsu stopped walking and turned to look at him again.

"You're really sweet, you know that? Making me feel better with just a stupid little story like that. I know I've been an ass, but it's just hard for me to trust anyone. But I want to trust you. That's why I told you stuff like that... But I guess I'm just trying to say... I'm glad I'm not alone here."

There was the smile again, so sweet and warm, and all the walls blocking the way from Bankotsu's heart to his brain were crashed. "Jakotsu..." he whispered. _I love you, _his brain said. But afraid to say it aloud, he reached out his hand to touch Jakotsu's. The older boy looked confused for a moment, but when Bankotsu's fingers gently closed around his wrist, he blushed and a soft look appeared to his eyes. He opened his mouth.

"Well look what we found, boys!" A harsh voice dropped them on Earth. Bankotsu released Jakotsu's wrist and looked around; there were six guys surrounding them, all big and strong. Jakotsu looked at them with an air of loathing, but the shorter boy could see he was also a bit scared. "Now we can teach you two lovebirds a lesson; never play with those with more power than you. Especially when there's a chance your bodyguards are not around." The speaker, whom Bankotsu recognized as the same bully he had scratched with his knife, nodded at his minions and they slowly started to take steps towards the two unarmed boys.

Bankotsu was quickly starting to panic, when he suddenly felt Jakotsu hugging him from behind, burying his face in the shoulder of the younger boy, and he blushed to high heavens. While the bullies reacted to Jakotsu's move with a mixture of loathing and laughter, the taller boy was whispering in Bankotsu's ear. "We're not strong enough, but I bet we're faster. See the gap between the red-haired guy and the one that looks like a gorilla? We escape through it. Be ready to run like hell."

He looked up and let go of Bankotsu, but took his right hand in his own. "If we're birds, you must be cats to catch us. And I have to say you're without a doubt the ugliest bunch of cats I've ever seen. Maybe you oughta go after some fish instead?" Jakotsu gave that irritating smirk Bankotsu already knew so well, and he could have sworn the leader of the bullies was actually growling. _Maybe we shouldn't piss them off... _But Jakotsu's smirk was getting darker and he squuezed Bankotsu's hand. The shorter boy squeezed back as their enemies started to get closer again. Bankotsu could feel his friend's body tense and all of a sudden Jakotsu was running and pulling Bankotsu behind him. Before the bullies could realize what was happening, they had escaped between two of the guys, and were running for their lives.

"Get them!" A shout came from behind them. It was followed by more yelling and threats.

Running in the forest wasn't all that easy; Bankotsu looked at his feet all the time, trying to avoid falling down. That would mean death, or a very painful beating at least. The only clear thing in his panicky mind was Jakotsu's hand in his own. He still heard the yelling, but the other boys seemed to fall slowly behind. The forest appeared to be getting darker and thicker, the tree branches were hitting his arms and face. _I can't take this for long! _Bankotsu's body was at the edge of collapsing. He glanced back; their followers had fallen so far behind he couldn't see them, but he could still faintly hear them. Suddenly, Jakotsu stopped short and the younger boy almost fell on his face. "Now what?" he snapped.

Jakotsu was staring intensely towards some trees a bit away from them. "Over here!" he said. Once again he was pulling the shorter boy along behind him. Bankotsu followed his friend to a large hole on the ground. It was barely visible under the shadows of the large trees. "Come on," Jakotsu hissed and they jumped into the hole. It was deep enough to keep them hidden when they sat down.

Bankotsu was panting, but Jakotsu told him to be quiet; the danger wasn't over yet. As he looked up at the older boy, he saw there was a red scratch on his cheek. Just then the yelling grew closer and they heard various curses and commands as the gang passed them by. Bankotsu closed his eyes and held his breath. Slowly the voices faded away and he noticed they were still squeezing each others' hands.

Jakotsu's tense expression was relaxing again. "We're not far from the meeting place, we'll just wait a bit and then go there quickly before those guys notice they lost us."

That sounded like a plan to Bankotsu. "Are you hurt? Your cheek's bleeding," he asked and gently wiped the blood away. To his surprise, Jakotsu blushed.

"I'm okay. Are you?"

"Yeah..."

They were looking each other in the eyes, still holding hands. Bankotsu felt the blood rushing to his own cheeks when Jakotsu smiled again. The butterflies returned as a pale hand came to rest on his waist. Losing the last bit of his rationality, Bankotsu slid his hand behind the smooth neck and pulled Jakotsu closer. Their lips touched and melted together. Despite the coolness of the shadows, Bankotsu felt feverish. Jakotsu's hands were holding him. Their mouths opened simultaneously as they deepened the kiss, and they caressed each other, never wanting to stop. Feeling the soft fabric of Jakotsu's t-shirt, his silky skin and strands of dark hair, Bankotsu felt this was right, this was how everything should be, the only possible way for him. The look in Jakotsu's eyes, when they pulled back, told him he wasn't the only one feeling it. They looked at each other and smiled; nothing more needed to be said.

...

Bankotsu was bored. He was alone in their cabin; Jakotsu had gone to take a shower. After their kiss, the day before, they had spent most of the time in their cabin, talking softly while timidly holding hands and sharing more sweet little kisses. They had escaped the bullies by arriving at the meeting place just after Suikotsu, and following on his heels the whole way back to the camp. Bankotsu was pretty happy with the situation. Jakotsu made him feel something he had never felt before... But an irritating thought kept nagging at him. _I _know _I've seen him before. I just don't remember where and when. And although we've been talking about all kinds of things, he never mentions his family. Something's wrong and I wish he would tell me..._

He sighed; he didn't even have anything to read while waiting for Jakotsu to come back. Looking around, Bankotsu decided to explore an old cupboard in the corner. He found some newspapers in it and sat on the floor to take a look. "Wow, these are old..." He said softly as he looked them over, picking up a paper from four years ago. He lazily scanned it and stopped dead at a picture covering one page; a profile of a young boy with dark hair, his face half hidden behind it. But Bankotsu recognized the pale skin and his cute nose, his long eyelashes that peeked out from under his shaggy bangs, and those red lips that tasted so sweet on his... The headline above the boy screamed, THREE DIED IN FIRE - 13-YEAR-OLD BOY ONLY ONE TO SURVIVE.

"Oh no..." He quickly skimmed the article.

_ Reason for the fire unknown... All were asleep... Mother, father and older son unconscious from the smoke... Younger boy woke up... Managed to get out... Currently in hospital... No known relatives... Will be placed in orphanage._

This was it; the reason Jakotsu declined everyone, the reason he was having nightmares, the reason he didn't speak about his family. _I should have known it was something like this... No wonder he's so bitter. And I remember seeing this same picture on TV when it happened. I couldn't get it out of my mind for weeks; his face looked so sad it broke my heart... Life is weird. _He was too absorbed in the paper to notice the barely audible sound of door being closed or the silent footsteps that stopped behind him.

"Where did you get that from?" A familiar voice asked.

Bankotsu jumped. He turned around and there was Jakotsu, fresh from the shower, clad in a bathrobe and positively furious. "I just found it from the cupboard... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." he mumbled hastily.

Jakotsu was fuming. "Yeah, you didn't mean to! You're just so damn curious you have to stick your nose everywhere! Trying to see inside my head, trying to get me to tell you all the details!"

Bankotsu stared with his mouth open, completely speecheless.

Jakotsu turned on his heels and grabbed clean clothes from his bed. "You're just like the rest of them, not better than those guys who use me as their punching bag! You just use me to make yourself feel better! To make your life look glamorous! After all, you have a family, a home, friends and all the love you can hope for! And what do I have? Oh yeah, nothing!" His eyes were wet with unshed tears. "I thought you were different," Jakotsu whispered and stepped out of the door.

It took Bankotsu few more minutes to realize what had just happened. When it hit him, he slowly stood up and climbed on his bed. He stared at the ceiling for few seconds, let out a trembling breath and broke down. Curling into a tight ball, he placed his hands over his eyes and cried for a long time, before the headache got the best of him and he fell asleep.

_ Bankotsu was walking in darkness. He reached out with his hand to feel where he was and met a wall. There was another wall on the other side; he was in a corridor. At the same second he realized it, he saw a tiny spot of light far ahead. He walked steadily towards it, knowing there was something he desperately wanted at the end of corridor. Finally he arrived at a large doorway. There was a big, beautiful room that was full of light on the other side of it. It was full of people, all of them well-dressed, dancing and having fun. Bankotsu looked down and saw that he too was wearing a handsome black suit. He entered the room, anxious to join the dancers; but he had no partner._

_ Feeling sad, Bankotsu watched the dancers gliding past him. Suddenly, someone walked towards him from the middle of the dance hall. It was Jakotsu, wearing a breathtaking red dress and pretty makeup. His hair was pulled up into a bun as usual, staying in place with a blue hairpin. He walked in front of Bankotsu, who felt his heart pounding. He lifted his hands up to Jakotsu's hair and removed the hairpin. Beautiful black hair fell down, shining brightly in the sunlight. When Jakotsu took his hand, Bankotsu realized the clothes of his friend had changed; he was now wearing a black suit similar to the one that was on Bankotsu. The younger boy relaxed and grabbed Jakotsu around the waist. Their lips met in delicious kiss; after pulling apart they moved to the dancefloor._

_ As all the other dancers in the hall stopped to look at them, they began a slow graceful dance. There was no music but Bankotsu wasn't missing it. He was holding Jakotsu, and Jakotsu was holding him, and that was all he cared about. "I thought you were mad at me," Bankotsu said quietly._

_ Jakotsu just smiled and shook his head. He put his hand over Bankotsu's heart, feeling its beats. "You need to understand. You've listened the whole time but you need to really understand if you want to get things right," Jakotsu whispered._

_ Bankotsu was confused. "What do you mean?" He heard a loud noise above him and looked up; a small dragon was flying around near the roof. It was a beautiful creature; its scales shone in every color of the rainbow and its wings were slender and flawless. A look of realization appeared into Bankotsu's eyes. "Oh... I'm just dreaming, right?" Jakotsu nodded, and the younger boy sighed disappointedly. "Pity... I like dancing with you. And you're smiling here. I don't want to wake up if you're angry at me in real world." He held Jakotsu closer, wondering if the dragon would just eat him so he'd never have to wake up and leave this sweet place._

_ "Bankotsu, just because your dreams don't really happen it doesn't mean they are meaningless. And if you don't wake up, you'll never find out what's it like to dance with me for real." Jakotsu lifted his friend's face and kissed him passionately._

Real or not, _Bankotsu thought, _every time he kisses me I feel like losing my mind... _Jakotsu pulled away and buried his face in Bankotsu's shoulder. "Okay... I'll try," the younger boy promised._

_ Jakotsu squeezed him harder. "It won't be easy," he whispered through trembling lips, "I'm sorry."_

_ "Huh?" Bankotsu's eyes widened; an ice cold hand had grabbed his arm and Jakotsu was gone, and everything was darkening away. He let out a wail..._

...And opened his eyes. He was in his bed and he was awake, but someone was still squeezing his arm. He rolled over, hoping to see Jakotsu, but saw someone else instead. It was almost dark and it took his sleepy brain a moment to recognize the brown-haired man.

"Having bad dreams?" Suikotsu asked. He was smiling, but with a hint of worry in his expression.

Bankotsu slowly sat up, trying to clear his head. "Kind of..." He muttered, wondering what this guy was doing in the cabin.

Before he could ask, Suikotsu opened his mouth again. "Look, I'm sorry to disturb you, but... umm... well; Jakotsu appeared in my cabin a couple of hours ago, practically crying and at the same time, wanting to kill someone... All I could manage out of him was how he was 'found by his past again' and then he just sat on my bed, cried his eyes out for you and finally passed out after asking me to get him some painkillers."

Suikotsu looked awkward as Bankotsu stared blankly at him. _So he decided to seek sanctuary with Suikotsu? Well, that's not so surprising after all. And he's been crying? _Bankotsu felt bad. He didn't want Jakotsu to be miserable... _I goddamn love him._

Suikotsu's voice shook him from his reverie. "Would you care to tell me what happened? Jakotsu's my friend and although I doubt you'd really hurt him, he can't have been upset for nothing." The camp leader's face was serious and for a moment Bankotsu felt jealousy and anger.

_ Who made you his guardian angel? _"You're right. I'd never hurt him. I think he's had enough pain in his life as it is. And he's upset because I found that out." Bankotsu felt a bit insulted as he pointed at the paper still lying on the floor.

Suikotsu's face grew terrified as he recognized the photo. "Damn... I'm sorry, it was my fault. I forgot those were in here. I hid them there when Jakotsu first spent a summer here... I wasn't in charge back then, as I was only seventeen." He looked miserable now.

Bankotsu decided this was the right time to get some answers. "How can you and your parents allow the stuff that is happening here? Some of those guys really want to murder us or something! Yesterday they attacked us when we were - umm, walking in the forest." His face was a bit flushed, but he wasn't sure if Suikotsu had noticed.

The young camp leader sighed. "Yeah, I know about those guys. But there's really nothing I can do about it. My parents aren't letting me; they make me do all sorts of crazy tasks in order to keep me away from them. And besides, even if I ran into them, it won't make much difference. They're not afraid of me."

Bankotsu realized that might be true; Suikotsu wasn't exactly the athletic type. "And what about those guys from two years ago, when you saved Jakotsu's life?"

The brown-haired man looked a bit surprised. "He told you about that? Well... By the time I got there, Jakotsu was bleeding badly from a nasty looking cut on his head and his arm was broken from the beating he took. The guys knew I would hand them over to the police and land them in jail, so they fled. Afterwards I wanted to inform the authorities, but I was strictly forbidden. Would have been bad for the camp image, they said, and I would've been thrown out in two seconds. I couldn't afford it, and still can't because I can't get a real job anywhere." Suikotsu's voice was bitter.

Before Bankotsu could ask what he meant, Suikotsu turned back to him and said: "Maybe you should go see him. He can get pretty irritated where his past is concerned, but I don't think it's you he's mad at. Judging by the looks he throws at you, you're the last person he wants to fight with." A deep blush crept over Bankotsu's face and Suikotsu smiled. "You thought I wouldn't notice anything? I've known Jakotsu for a while now and I've never seen him watching anyone like that. But never mind, I think you guys will be good for each other, even though you are young."

Bankotsu wanted to change the subject; Suikotsu was alright but a bit too know-it-all, especially when it came to Jakotsu and their relationship. _We just kissed yesterday for the first time and this guy's planning a gay wedding already. _For a second a very disturbing image of Jakotsu in a slutty bridal dress flashed in his mind; he pushed it away.

"Well, I'd like to see him. But even if he's not directly mad at me, he's still angry. And if he's gonna get all his anger out, I'm the most likely target to it at the moment. So, I want to see him but would like to avoid getting ripped apart while I'm at it. Any ideas?" Bankotsu didn't mean to sound icy, but there was still a sharp edge in his tone. However, it seemed to bounce clear off Suikotsu rather than hurt him.

"Well, I'm gonna come with you and I know when he's angry and what calms him down, to some point at least, so I'll keep an eye on him. I don't want him to trash my room, after all." He was smiling widely and suddenly looked like he was enjoying himself; Bankotsu decided he shouldn't even try to understand this guy's thoughts. Still, his mood was lifting a bit; maybe this would end well after all. It was painful for him to see Jakotsu upset and he wanted desperately to make both of them feel better. Suikotsu started to walk towards the door, but stopped midway. "And besides, if he happens to be abnormally cranky..." he took a small white box from his pocket, "... I suggest you give him some painkillers." His smile was definitely beyond insane.

--

_ To be continued in part four: Crazy people_


	4. Crazy people

**Time to get angsty with Jakotsu's dark secret... Cookies for everyone!**

--

Much like Bankotsu before, Jakotsu was having a dream. But his dream didn't involve rainbow dragons or dance halls; instead there was fire, screaming, and fear. He was used to it, and after seeing these same dreams over and over again for the last four years his night terrors had decreased to a level of muttering and rolling around in his sleep. Although the nightmares made him a very light sleeper and more often than not he stayed awake for hours before falling asleep, he felt it was progress. After all, it took him four months after the fire before he stopped waking up in the middle of the night to his own screaming. And now even when his dreams were spiced with tall hooded men carrying gas cans, he usually just kicked his blanket off and sometimes threw his pillow away.

This time though, the dream was different. It had started off normally enough, but then he suddenly realized the fire was gone, the screams were gone, and he was walking in a forest. Jakotsu was confused; it had been years since he last dreamt about something else. It was refreshing to smell the wet grass instead of smoke. He was looking for something, but couldn't remember what and he was growing unsure. _Am I still dreaming? This seems weird. _His feet led him to a small river; he stopped and sat on its bend, dipping his feet in the cold, clear water. He felt peaceful again, the water was flowing gently and his feet were refreshed; he felt like he'd walked for days. Little by little, the flow of the water started to slow down. Jakotsu pulled his feet away and bent over to see his reflection. But the face he saw wasn't his; yet it looked really familiar and pleasant. Blue eyes, handsome features, dark hair and, for some reason, a slight frown. Jakotsu, however, smiled at it. "That's what I was looking for," he said to himself.

"Jakotsu?" The voice sounded too loud to Jakotsu's ears and it slowly pulled him from his dreamland. But the face was still there, looking worried and scared, when he stirred himself awake. It took him a moment to find the right name in his dizzy head. _Bankotsu. That's right. He's the sweet one, the one I kissed yesterday, the one who has a smile of an angel. The one who makes me happy. The one who... _He remembered. Bankotsu had found out and he was angry at him. It was too painful to bear, all that anger and fear and sorrow suddenly flowing back after such a nice dream. Jakotsu sat up and held his head, which seemed to be exploding again. He moaned. Why was Bankotsu here? He remembered coming to Suikotsu's cabin... He looked up and Suikotsu was there behind Bankotsu, smiling like a maniac and looking very guilty at the same time. Jakotsu rolled his eyes. "You son of a bitch," he managed to spat out.

Bankotsu looked alarmed until Suikotsu generously explained, "That was for me."

"Indeed." Jakotsu stood up, letting go of his head and gave Suikotsu a glare that could have frozen a kettle full of boiling water. Bankotsu took a few steps back but the brown-haired man only seemed to be amused by the approaching danger to his life. "You little sucker, you." He was growling at Suikotsu, and taking some threatening steps towards him. "You brought him here even though you knew full well that I didn't want to see him! I told you he was being a nosy little idiot who goes through stuff that doesn't belong to him!"

At this, Suikotsu actually laughed; although Bankotsu was sensing an edge of hysteria in it. "What the heck you talking about, Jakotsu? You fucking cried your eyes out and the only word making any sense in your miserable wailing was 'Bankotsu'! And the only idiot around here is you with your insane self-pity and endless loathing towards the whole world! Then you finally find someone who doesn't kick your bony ass for being such a pain in one and you're too fucking scared to let him into your life!"

Bankotsu was staring; he couldn't help it. Suikotsu's face had become gradually more serious while he was shouting, and now it was almost as angry as Jakotsu's. The effeminate boy was trembling slightly, and although he looked like he would have liked to strangle Suikotsu, there was a hint of insecurity behind his eyes. He appeared as speechless as Bankotsu, and the older man took the opportunity to start again. He looked more insane than ever before. "Whazza matter? Hit a sore spot in you? You know I'm right, you know you're head over heels for him but are too much of a masochist to admit it! Ain't that right, Jakiii?"

A flame suddenly flashed in Jakotsu's eyes and he pushed Suikotsu against a wall. "Shut the fuck up, Suikotsu." His voice was low now, but not a bit less dangerous. "If I didn't know what makes you talk like that, I'd have killed you already. But since I do..." He fell silent as he let go of the older man.

Bankotsu curiously stepped closer. The smirk was about to appear on Suikotsu's face again; that's when Jakotsu punched him in the face with all his strength. The older looked surprised. He smiled and collapsed to the ground with his eyes closed. Bankotsu winced as Jakotsu stared at his older friend for a moment before walking over to Suikotsu's drawer. Bankotsu was worried. "Is he alright?" he asked as Suikotsu let out a loud snore.

"The bastard will be just fine." Jakotsu muttered and wrote something on a piece of paper he found. Finished, he placed the paper near Suikotsu's head and turned towards Bankotsu. "And as for you..." he looked at the younger man sharply.

The younger boy was scared, but knew he had to do this to make things good again. "You can punch me if it makes you feel better," he offered.

Jakotsu looked like he was seriously considering it for a moment, but he shook his head instead. "No. You're not gonna get away just like that. We need to talk. Come on, we should leave before the nutcase wakes up, because if he pisses me off again I'll really have to hurt him." He turned towards the door and stepped out into the quiet summer night. Bankotsu followed, but took a quick peek at the piece of paper Jakotsu had left for his unconscious friend. It read, "Take your pills, moron!"

Since it was the middle of summer, the night wasn't all that dark and it wasn't too cold either. Bankotsu followed his tall friend towards the forest; neither of them spoke a word. _Maybe he's planning to kick my ass in the forest so no one will find me for a while, _Bankotsu thought. But he still followed, guessing that Jakotsu might have used up most of his anger when he punched Suikotsu. And even if he were to hurt the shorter boy, Bankotsu knew it wouldn't matter. _There's no person in the world I'd rather let punch me._

Jakotsu briefly glanced back, making sure Bankotsu was still there, and entered the dark forest. His expression wasn't angry anymore, and Bankotsu relaxed a bit. He started to wonder about Suikotsu. _"Take your pills..." Maybe he's sick or something? He didn't look too well tonight. I wonder if Jakotsu's gonna tell me._

Lost in thought, he almost collided with his friend; Jakotsu had stopped and now turned around to face Bankotsu. The were beyond hearing distance of the camp, standing under a big tree. The full moon was shining through the tree branches above them. For a moment they just stared at each other until Jakotsu was distracted by an owl hooting somewhere near and he looked up. At that moment Bankotsu decided to act; he touched his friend's hand lightly and when Jakotsu looked at him, he said: "I'm sorry. It wasn't right of me to snoop around like that. And I never meant to hurt you in any way. But I want you to know it doesn't matter to me what's happened in your past."

Jakotsu gave him a faint smile. "I know. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have yelled at you. And I didn't mean it when I said I didn't wanna see you. I didn't bring you here to punch you, but we still need to talk. There are things I have to tell you before I can really take you into my life. And I wanted to get out of the camp, it disturbs me. And Suikotsu irritates the hell out of me when he hasn't taken his meds."

Bankotsu was happy to hear Jakotsu wanted him in his life, but needed to deal with the other target of his curiousity before letting Jakotsu tell him what he wanted. "What's wrong with him?" the younger boy asked. "Suikotsu. He didn't seem himself tonight."

Jakotsu laughed darkly at that. "I wouldn't think so! He has a split personality, you see."

Bankotsu raised his eyebrows. The term sounded familiar, but he had always thought a split personality was enough to get one into a mental hospital for good; he told as much to his friend.

Jakotsu's voice took a more serious tone. "In some cases, yes. But Suikotsu's other self stays under control with medication and isn't necessarily dangerous... Well, that depends on if he's mad at you or not. When he's himself, he's calm and happy and practically a coward. Smiles all the time, you've seen him..." The effeminate boy talked with his hands, making all kinds of wavy gestures as he spoke. Bankotsu found it so fascinating he almost forgot to listen intently; but what Jakotsu said next was definitely interesting. "But when he forgets to take his pills, and apparently my appearing in his cabin tonight made him forget, the other personality comes up. It's somewhat bitter, very sarcastic and annoying and sometimes even violent. In a nutshell, all Suikotsu's negative characteristics, the ones he has suppressed, come to life in that other personality."

As he spoke, Jakotsu started walking in a small circle around Bankotsu. "It's his parents' fault. The old geezers always messed with his head when he was a kid, doing all sorts of 'experiments,' like what happens if you lock a three-year-old in a dark closet for two hours when he accidentally breaks a glass. He's told me about that stuff, it kept going on for years and there was nothing he could do about it. Eventually he started to lose it, his mind fractured into two different halves and he was sent to a shrink after beating the hell out of some kid in school." Jakotsu looked sad; Bankotsu felt sorry for Suikotsu too. "Long story short, after years of being in and out of mental hospital, they found him some medication that keeps the other half under control. But it's hard for him get a job anywhere, because he's so widely known as a nutcase, thanks to his parents, and he's too afraid to try. So now he's completely under their control and wastes his life here, doing stuff he hates and forced to work with kids he can't handle. Basically he'd be just as low here as us if the bullies didn't think his parents might actually do something if he gets beaten. Luckily they don't know the truth."

Jakotsu sighed. "Well, that was Suikotsu's story. But I'm afraid I need to tell you mine too. I'm sorry I have to tell you stuff like this, it can't be good for anyone's head, but now that you know as much as you do, I can't be comfortable with you unless you also understand the rest of it. Think you can you handle it?"

Bankotsu looked at him and considered seriously for a moment. It was true that all this had really shocked him, but underneath it all there was a feeling he would gladly do anything to make Jakotsu feel better - just to see that beautiful smile, to feel those painted lips on his... He also remembered his dream and realized it had pointed to this moment; _'You need to really understand if you want to make things work... It won't be easy.' _That's what the Dream-Jakotsu had said. Bankotsu gave his friend a small nod.

"Okay," Jakotsu said and looked up at the sky again. "Let's lie down, I'd like to see the moon." They lay on the ground, facing the night sky and millions of stars.

"My childhood was relatively happy," Jakotsu began quietly. "Not quite like yours, I'd imagine... I never had my own room, my mother had a very bad case of diabetes that forced her to stop working when I was ten, and I saw our dog dying when some car ran him over when I was seven; the driver didn't even slow down and I cried for two weeks. But even though things were tense sometimes, like when my father had hard time with his work, or when me and my brother were sick, we were still a family, we had a strong bond and we had a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. Me and my brother were close and because of that whenever we had a fight, it was a total war. Not the usual calling names and telling Mommy-kinda stuff, but actual fighting; once I kicked him in face and broke one of his teeth. We shared a room along with all our childhood secrets. He was three years older than me, and he used to protect me when kids at school kept calling me a freak cuz I looked different. I've always been pale and skinny and effeminate... Our parents always told that I looked just like Mom while my brother was the spitting image of Dad.

"It was never quite clear to me what Dad exactly did in his job. All I knew was that he could be away for three days in a row sometimes while he was taking care of some sort of important businesses. 'Dealing with the law,' he told me when I asked. And sometimes I could hear him and Mom arguing in their room about his job, but I didn't really want to hear them fighting so I pushed it out of my mind. Thinking back, I was stupid not to realize what was going on. Too young and too self-centered, I guess. My brother knew; he found out about a year before the fire. I didn't know what had happened, I just knew he changed a lot. He started smoking in secret, was gloomy all the time and sometimes came home around three in the morning, reeking of booze. We didn't talk so much anymore, he kept avoiding me and I was annoyed and scared. I had no friends, just my family, and they started to fade away. Dad was gone for longer periods than ever, Mom was growing weaker than before, and my brother hardly slept, except when he passed out from drinking. I remember waking up once in the middle of the night and he was standing in front of our window, a small knife in his hand. The moon was shining bright and made the blood on his arms look black..."

Jakotsu's voice broke down for a moment and Bankotsu took his hand. The older boy took a deep breath and continued. "Then, one day in July, about four years ago, Dad came home three days before he was supposed to. There was a gash on his face and he could barely move his left arm, but I'd never seen him happier than that afternoon. He told Mom that he had quit his job and that he had left 'those people' for good, and Mom cried in happiness. I didn't understand it all, but I was relieved to see them laughing again. But then my brother came home and he wasn't happy to hear the news. He kept shouting at Dad that he was an idiot and he had endangered us all. Dad yelled at him 'til his face was red and then told him to go to upstairs and stay there. I was scared; I'd never seen my brother so angry. I followed him to our room, where he was holding a large bottle of liquor that he had been hiding somewhere.

I tried to talk with him but he barely spoke, just kept drinking from his bottle. By the time it was half empty, I started yelling at him, said he was a stupid bastard to be so fucking pissed now that our parents finally seemed happy again and things were looking up for once. He looked at me, walked up to me and punched me in the face so hard I fell down and it took me a few seconds before I saw more than black again. 'You don't understand anything, you little shit. Stay out of my sight or I'll beat some sense into you,' my brother said. For a moment I just stared at him; he was the one who had always been my hero, he had always stood up for me, been there for me. I've never felt so betrayed in my whole life... Finally I got up and left the room without saying another word and went downstairs, where I told my parents I'd be sleeping on the couch. They were not happy about my brother's behaviour and took it out on me. All in all, the rest of the day was miserable. My brother stayed in our room, drinking until he passed out around eleven. My parents kept arguing about everything, and shouting at me. After my brother had fallen asleep, my parents decided to go to sleep too and went upstairs. We were all mad at each other. I lay awake on the couch for at least two hours and cried myself to sleep. For a while I had thought things were getting better, but now it all seemed hopeless. When I finally drifted off, my dreams were restless and dark.

"Suddenly I woke up. I don't know why, and was about to fall asleep again when I realized there was a strange smell and a crackling sound. I struggled to understand what was going on. But I was so tired and it was so dark I couldn't think clearly. I got up and tried to find the cause of the sound. It was like rattling, but very quiet. It came from upstairs and I climbed up. There was a weird light and around that time I started to realize something was wrong. I rushed into our room... It was burning. Half of it was filled with smoke and fire and my brother lied in his bed, not moving. The fire had not reached the bed and I went over to him, shook him and begged him to wake up. It was no use; he was already unconscious because of the smoke. Crying, I ran to my parents' room, but it was in flames too. Their bed was surrounded by fire and I tried to scream at them, but I had too much smoke in my throat. They didn't wake up.

"I had to do something, to get help. I ran down the stairs and fell in the middle. I had troubles controlling my feet by then; I was getting light-headed from all the smoke. Anyway, I hit my head on the wall and saw stars. I didn't faint, and the police said later it was a miracle, I would have died otherwise, but I couldn't stand up anymore, so I just dragged myself towards the front door. I reached it and managed to get out. Last thing I remember was thinking I saw someone in our yard; a man dressed in long black coat and carrying some sort of can. After that, everything went black." Jakotsu had kept his voice steady and emotionless, but he was holding Bankotsu's hand so tightly it was almost painful.

Bankotsu didn't know what to say to help his friend, he felt terrible too, but his instincts told him the best thing to do was to squeeze back.

Jakotsu continued, "When I woke up, all I saw was white. Little by little I was able to focus my eyes again. I saw I was in a hospital. After my eyes started working, my other senses came back too and I felt sick. It wasn't pretty. It took me another half an hour to stop vomiting black stuff. By then I had a vague memory of what had happened and I panicked. Some nurses had come in to look after me and I tried to ask them what had happened, where my family was and how long I'd been unconscious. They refused to answer because I was already hysterical and gave me tranquilizers instead. I resisted, but it was no use and I slowly fell asleep again. Next time I regained my senses; there was a doctor in my room, checking my condition. He asked me how I felt and I told him I was just fine, except for the fact that I was coughing up black slime and nobody was telling me anything. I also told him that I'd jump out of the window right now if he didn't tell me where my family was.

He looked a bit uncomfortable. I've thought about it later and I guess it's never easy to tell someone their loved ones are gone, even if you're a doctor and do it all the time. But at the moment he told me my whole family had died because of the fire, I couldn't think at all. I didn't understand, I didn't feel anything, I don't even know if my heart was beating. I remember just staring at the doctor; then he moved his hand to rest it on my shoulder and the whole thing just crashed down on me. I started screaming, flinched at his touch and jumped out of the bed. I tried to get out of the room but someone caught me and held me down. There was a needle, I felt it sting me, and kept screaming throughout it all. Then I saw black again." Jakotsu didn't seem to be as nervous as before; instead he sounded numb and kind of bored.

"The same thing went on for few weeks. I would wake up, try to understand what had happened and get hysteric again. But slowly it got easier for me. I was able to think clearly after few days, at first for very short whiles and then longer and longer... When I reached the point I was able to have normal conversations without trying to escape the room, they got me a psychiatrist. I spent hours in a small room with the guy asking me questions, making me talk, and helping me understand. It wasn't easy to open up to him but he was good in what he did and finally, when they considered me healthy enough, I was placed in an orphanage. I got a room of my own there, mainly because I still woke up at night screaming, and the other kids envied me for it. They didn't like the way I looked either; there is always a great deal of competition in orphanages. One day someone might get adopted and people usually prefer good-looking children, you know? It sounds cruel but that's the way it is, and because the other orphans considered me pretty, they never missed a chance to mock me. They called me princess and fairy and gods know what else...

"In a nutshell, most of my time in the orphanage was a living hell. But now that I'm one of the oldest ones there, it's been easier. And soon I'll be eighteen; then I can move away and maybe finally be able to live a real life... Alone though, but better alone than with people like those nice boys who tried to kill us yesterday..." Jakotsu sounded bitter.

"You don't have to be alone, I'm there for you," Bankotsu said without thinking and blushed. He sounded like a schoolgirl with a crush, but he really meant it. He didn't want to let Jakotsu go, didn't want him to suffer anymore.

Jakotsu turned to look at him; a tear fell down his face. "You really mean that?" he asked with a tiny smile. Bankotsu answered by wiping away the tear and getting closer to his friend. A shaky breath, a hand sliding under a shirt, and the lips met again.

This time they felt more need, more heat and desire. The sweet taste of Jakotsu's mouth was mixed with salty tears hehad shed, and the combination made Bankotsu shiver. He clung to the body next to him, his hands wandering, and he whispered secret words every time their lips broke apart for a second. Jakotsu wasn't crying of sorrow anymore, his heart was wild with raw joy and lust. He wanted to feel every inch of Bankotsu's body on his own. Hooking one of his long legs around Bankotsu's waist, Jakotsu pulled him as close as humanly possible. Both boys moaned loudly as their hips grounded together, their growing pleasure reaching an almost unbearable level. Jakotsu placed one of his hands on the zipper of Bankotsu's jeans, ready to pull them off.

Just then, an owl hooted loudly right above their heads, startling them. After realizing it was just a bird, the boys laughed and felt their heads clearing up. They looked at each other and knew they were thinking the same; maybe it wasn't such a bright idea to give up to their lust in a place like this. They would have plenty of time for that later. Jakotsu pulled his hand away and instead just kissed his friend lightly on the cheek and hugged him. "It's too dangerous here, Bankotsu. Anyone could hear or see us... And I'm pretty sure they wouldn't appreciate it."

Bankotsu smiled. "I know. It might be best to wait until we have someplace all for ourselves."

They sat up and Jakotsu shook some dried leaves out of his hair. "If I can get a job once I get back home - no, the orphanage - it might not take too long. Once I'm eighteen and have a decent job, I can rent an apartment. Then you can come and visit me anytime you want..."

They held hands and spoke softly about the future while walking back towards the camp. Bankotsu was laughing at something Jakotsu had said, when the taller boy suddenly stopped walking; something was wrong. Soon Bankotsu heard it too; there were people right in front of their cabin. The boys hid behind a tree and observed the situation. Suikotsu's parents were talking with some of the boys who had been chasing them the day before in the forest. "Are you sure you saw them leave the cabin? Maybe they are just sleeping," they heard Suikotsu's mother saying. One of the bullies answered her, "Yeah, we did. It's forbidden to leave the camp at night, isn't it?" He sounded very pleased with himself, and Suikotsu's parents appeared to be just as happy to see a chance to get Jakotsu and Bankotsu in trouble. The woman knocked on wooden door and squealed with a fake cheery tone, "Boys! Would you please open the door? We would like to see if you're alright!"

When nothing happened, Suikotsu's parents looked at each other and the woman opened the door. At this point Jakotsu realized the intruders would probably sneak through their bags; he didn't want that. He threw Bankotsu an apologetic look, let go of his hand and stepped forward. "What is going on here?" he asked loudly. The people in the doorway started and turned around, and the bullies were thrilled to see Jakotsu coming out of the forest with Bankotsu dogging his heels. "You should've stayed hiding," Jakotsu whispered angrily at his friend.

"Don't be stupid. We're in this together." Bankotsu's voice was firm, and the taller boy sighed deeply, accepting the situation.

"Boys, where have you been? You know you're not allowed to leave the camp after sunset! There are all sorts of dangerous creatures in the forest!" Suikotsu's father said with a squeaky voice that made Jakotsu's head hurt.

"Yeah, thank gods we didn't run into a squirrel, it might have been our doom. Look, we were taking a walk cuz we couldn't sleep," the effeminate boy replied. Suikotsu's mother started a long session of nagging about the camp rules, but the boys ignored her.

The bullies were now walking towards the young couple, and one of them spoke quietly, "Or maybe you just didn't think it's exciting enough to play your little faggot games safely indoors. Having a fuck in the middle of forest at night is what makes life fun for you, eh?" The bullies laughed darkly.

Jakotsu gave them a poisonous look and stepped protectively in front of his smaller friend. But Bankotsu had had enough. "You son of a bitch," he hissed and stepped forward, fuming. "I'm so sick of seeing your ugly faces and hearing your stupid opinions about our life! Why don't you get ones of your own and leave us the fuck alone? What the hell does it matter to you who we are fucking and where? I bet you are just fucking jealous cause all you have in bed are teddy bears!"

He stopped and took a deep breath. Everything went dead silent. Everyone was staring at Bankotsu. Jakotsu's eyes were wide and the mouths of the bullies were hanging open. Someone threw a punch right to the left side of Bankotsu's head, and it was too quick for him to duck it. The blow left his ears ringing and made him see black spots, and he started to fall. Jakotsu caught him and supported him, helping him to stay on his feet. "Bastards," Jakotsu hissed like an angry cat. Bankotsu was squeezing his hand; the shorter boy looked like he would faint any moment. Suikotsu's mother had let out a small shriek when she saw Bankotsu getting punched, and now she and her husband were both shouting senseless orders. No one paid attention to them. Jakotsu started slowly walking away from the other boys, holding his friend tightly. _If they attack, I'm in trouble. I can't fight while carrying Bankotsu and if I put him down, I can't protect both of us._

He decided he'd keep Bankotsu safe as long as possible; the bullies were coming closer again, looking angry. And that was when someone yelled, "I've had about enough of this!" Everyone looked towards the voice, and the front lights of a car lit up the night. The sudden brightness was too much for Bankotsu and he fainted. Jakotsu felt the body on his arms go limp, and he would have panicked if it wasn't for the person standing next to the parked car. He had recognized the voice and was now smiling triumphantly.

"Get him in the car, Jakotsu," Suikotsu shouted at him. "Let's get the fuck outta here." He smirked and for once he didn't look insane.

--

_ Only the epilogue left now._


	5. Epilogue

**Fluffy ending like I promised. Hope you enjoyed the whole story! I still have cookies left for reviewers!**

_ Jakotsu's PoV_

--

I woke up from my dream; not from a nightmare, just one of those silly dreams that make no sense, the ones that normal people have. I guess it's kinda odd to be incredibly happy after having a dream about talking books and trees growing from my toes, but I really am happy. I opened my eyes and I'm lying in a soft bed, covered with a warm blanket, and Bankotsu is in my arms. The early morning sun is shining in the window and his room is illuminated by the white rays of sunlight. I love Bankotsu's room, and his entire home. His family is so great, and I really have the feeling they like me, that I am welcome in their home. I take a peek at the mattress I should have slept on, which is lying empty on the floor, and grin sleepily. Bankotsu said his parents are understood and they will give us their blessing, but we decided not to tell them about our relationship just yet. For now it remains our secret; although, I have a feeling his sister is smiling in a knowing way when she looks at us.

Suikotsu, of course, is the one who already knows the secret. And he's been a lot of help to us too. I smile as I remember the night we left Camp Kurisutaru; he helped me to get Bankotsu in his car, and together we got mine and Bankotsu's stuff from our cabin. His parents kept yelling the whole time; he ignored them completely. The bullies stood there, looking stupid, too confused to say a word. When we were ready to leave, Suikotsu's father shouted, "Where do you think you'll go? You can't get a job, you can't pay your rent, and you can't do anything without our support!"

Suikotsu looked at him, blinked and said, "You'll see." Then we stepped in the car and left the place. Once we left the camp, we looked at each other and started to laugh like hell. And after I got over the laughing, I started crying hysterically. But it was only the aftershock; I don't think I've ever felt such relief in my life.

After Bankotsu woke up in the backseat, we took some time to decide where to go. His parents were still on the cruise he had told me about. "But my sister Kasumi is home," he said. And so Suikotsu dropped us at Bankotsu's place, where a party seemed to be going on in full force. Suikotsu laughed at our faces, wished us luck and headed over to his own apartment. He's been calling me regularly; things are starting to look up for him too. He got a job in a nearby hospital. He's temporarily working as a trainee, but his boss realizes he isn't crazy and will probably give him permanent job soon. As for me and Bankotsu, after Suikotsu had driven away we walked into his house, careful not to step on any of the party guests. We were pretty sure his sister wouldn't notice us if we went to say hello, she was currently dancing on the kitchen table; so we just headed upstairs to Bankotsu's room, told one half-naked couple to get the fuck out of there, locked the door and fell asleep on his bed almost immediately. To say that Kasumi was angry next morning would be an understatement; she practically screamed at us for half an hour about leaving the camp and disturbing her party. Shaking her head, she seemed to have gotten it out of her system, cuz she hugged us both and went to make us breakfast. After that, things have been sweet.

For now I am still living in the orphanage, but my birthday will be in few days and I've already gotten a few job interviews. Besides, I spend a lot of time at Bankotsu's place. The future looks good; I'll be able to leave my past behind and start a new life with him beside me. Last night, when we laid awake in his bed until three in the morning, talking quietly, he said he'd be with me forever. It makes me feel warm and incredibly happy just to think about it. I know that after we get over the first infatuation, things won't feel this joyful all the time. But for now I'm enjoying the unbelievable feeling of peace that fills me every time I look at him. Besides, I don't think this is just a crush; it has to be something more... My thoughts are disturbed as Bankotsu slowly stirs awake; he opens his blue eyes, giving me a sleepy smile, and I feel my heart melting from love.

"Whatcha thinking?" he asks, yawning.

I give him a kiss on forehead. "You," I answer, and as he cuddles closer to me, I once again start to drift off to sleep. But instead of fighting it like I once used to, I welcome the sleep with open arms... Because I never have nightmares when he sleeps next to me.

--

_ The End (for now at least...)_


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